Starlink Internet Services Philippines, a 100% owned subsidiary of SpaceX (Starlink), confirmed this week that it will launch its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet service commercially by December.
In a press briefing, Starlink spokesperson Rebecca Hunter said that hopefully services will come onstream by the end of the year and will deliver high speed, low-latency satellite internet service with download speeds of between 100Mbps and 200Mbps. Hunter said that router kit for the new service will cost PHP33,000 (USD599), on top of which users will pay roughly PHP5,500 per month for an uncapped service. In a bid to deliver low-cost internet access to all, Starlink will cover villages and rural areas that remain unserved or underserved with internet access services, providing a complementary service to those already provided by other telcos.
As previously reported by CommsUpdate, on 26 May 2022 the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) confirmed that Starlink Internet Services Philippines had received its certificate of registration as a value added service provider (VAS). NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo V Cabarios hopes the award will entice other players into the market.